Carpet-stretcher.



C. HELM. CARPET STRETCHER. P 0 TION I PATENTED APR. 9.- 19o?.`

oEEiss HELM, or BELPRE, orno.

CARPET-STRETCHER,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed April 11, 1906. Serial No. 311,194.

To oz/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OHRIss HELM, a citif lever, and the arms of said brace-rod are bent zen of the United States, residing at Belpre, in the county of Washington and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oarpet-Stretchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in carpet-stretchers; and the object of the invention is to produce a simple and efficient apparatus of this nature by which a carpet may be easily and quickly stretched by the swinging movement of a lever which has connection with heads having teeth made to engage the carpet, means being provided to hold the purchase upon the carpet while the latter is being tacked.

My invention comprises various details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in 'which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through one of the heads. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail perspective view, and Fig. 5 is a detail cross-sectional view showing parts in elevation.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a head, preferably of wood, having teeth A', positioned at intervals therein and projecting from the under face thereof and adapted to engage a carpet. Upon one face of said head A are plates B, having ears B', which support the pintles O, upon which are mounted spurs DX, and D is a spring mounted upon each pintle and adapted to normally hold said spurs D at their farthest forward and downward throw. A stop D' is formed upon each of said plates, said stops being adapted to -limit the inner throw of the spurs. E designates a cross-piece having a central opening E' for the reception of the lever F, which is pivotally mounted upon a pin F', passing through the walls of said opening.

A brace-rod G is pivotally connected to said to form hooks G', which engage the eyes or staples H, 'which are fastened to said head A. One end of the cross-piece E, which is contracted, is adapted to engage an elongated slot formed in the head A, the movement of -said piece E being limited 'in one direction by a shoulder formed therein, whichis adapted to contact with the side of the head A. A second head N,which is thefronthead, has spurs N' projecting from the bottom thereof, which are adapted to engage a iioor, and is provided with a central slot O for the reception of the contracted end E2 of said crosspiece E, and a plate or casting Q is seated in a recess in the contracted end E2 and is provided with inclined lugs Q', projecting from the opposite edges thereof. One face of said head N is recessed away and is adapted to receive a spring-pressed bar R, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, 'which is held to the head N by means of the metallic straps R', said bar R having a slight vertical play between the lower angled ends of said straps and the top of the recess in the head N. The central portion of the bar R has a recess R2, adapted to receive the contracted end E2 of the piece E, and also the inclined lugs Q', projecting from the opposite edges of the contracted portion E2. Metallic plates J J, the upper faces of which are conveXed and the lower 'faces substantially iiat, are fastened to the upper edge of the bar R, and the inner ends of said plates J overhang the ends of the recess R2, as shown clearly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and are adapted to be alternately engaged by the opposite inclined faces of the lugs Q' as the handle or lever of. the stretcher is worked backward or forward.

As the operating-lever is swung toward the head the bar R will be thrown downward by the upper edges of the plates J coming in contact with the lower faces of the inclined lugs Q', thereby causing the teeth T, carried by said bar, to engage the carpet and stretch the carpet forward. After the plates have passed by the outeredges of the lugs the pressure upon the head N will cause the bar to rise up in the recess in which it is positioned, and upon the swinging movement of the lever in the opposite direction the under surfaces of the plates coming in contact with the upper surfaces of the lugs Q' will cause the bar R to be raised still higher and the teeth T withdrawn .a slight distance from IOO IIO

the carpet. After the handle is swung to its farthest position toward the head N and the inner ends of the plates J pass over the inner ends of said lugs the springs will serve to throw the bar slightly downward, so that on the forward movement of the head N the plates J will be in position to engage the under inclined faces of said lugs. A brace-rod W has pivotal connection at its longitudinal center with said lever, which is pivotally mounted upon the piece E, and the egids of sai d brace-rod W are bent to form hooks engaging staples or eyes S, projecting from the inner face of the head N.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The device is laced upon the carpet and pressure is applied to the heads, preferably by the operator s feet resting one upon each head. The operating-lever being thrown to its farthest limit toward the head A, which is the rear end of the device, will prevent any backward slipping of said head, the teeth A', which are slightly forwardly inclined, gripping the carpet. The weight of the operators foot upon the head N will cause the spurs l which are slightly rearwardly bent, to grip the carpet and floor underneath the head N and hold said head N stationary. As the lever is swung toward the head N the head A will be drawn forward and the carpet with it. When the lever is swung to its farthest forward limit, the spurs DX, engaging the carpet and iioor, will prevent any rearward slipping of the head A. As the lever is swung toward the head N the bar R, carrying the teeth T, will be raised from the carpet by the upper surface of the inclined lugs Q coming in contact with the under surfaces of the plates J. When the lever is thrown to the farthest forward limit toward the head N and a reverse movement given to the operating-lever toward the head A, the head A is held from backward movement by the spurs DX, and the head N is driven forward. As the head N moves forward the upper conveXed surfaces of the plates J, coming in contact with the under surfaces of the inclined lugs Q, will force the bar downward and cause the teeth carried thereby to engage the carpet, thereby causing the carpet to be stretched forward by said teeth. By having the spurs N curved, as shown, it will be noted that they will not interfere with the carpet as the head N moves forward. This operation is repeated until the carpet is stretched in as taut relation as desired by simply the swinging movement of the lever, one head first stretching the carpet and then the other, which will be readily understood.

/Vhat I claim is- 1. A carpet-stretcher comprising two parallel heads, a cross-piece having sliding connection with said heads, a lever pivoted to the cross-piece, bail-shaped rods pivotally connected to said lever and fastened each to one of said heads, carpet-engaging teeth and spurs carried by the rear head, said spurs adapted to prevent slipping of the rear head, a vertically-movable toothed bar carried by the front head, spurs upon the front head, and means for operating said bar as the lever is worked backward or forward, as set forth.

2. A carpet-stretcher comprising two parallel heads, a cross-piece having sliding connection with said heads, a lever pivoted to the cross-piece, bail-shaped rods pivotally connected to said lever and fastened each to one of said heads, carpet-engaging teeth and spurs caurried by the rear head, said spurs adapted to prevent slipping of the rear head, a vertically-movable toothed bar carried by the front head, spurs upon the front head, inclined lugs projecting from the cross-piece, and plates carried by said bar and adapted to be engaged by said lugs as the lever is moved backward or forward, as set forth.

3. A carpet-stretcher comprising two parallel heads, a cross-piece having sliding connection with said heads, a lever pivoted to the cross-piece, bail-shaped rods pivotally connected to said lever and fastened each to one of said heads, carpet-engaging teeth and spurs carried by the rear head, said spurs adapted to prevent slipping of the rear head, a vertically-movable spring-pressed toothed bar carried by the front head, spurs upon the front head, inclined lugs projecting from said cross-piece, and plates fixed to said bar and projecting into the paths of thel lugs, said lugs contacting alternately with the upper and lower faces of said plates as the lever is moved backward and forward.

4. A carpet-stretcher comprising slotted front and rear heads, carpet-engaging teeth and spurs upon said rear head, said spurs being adapted t0 prevent slipping of the rear head, a cross piece having ends passing through the slots in the heads, a lever pivoted to said cross-piece, bail-shaped rods connecting said lever with said heads, the front head having a recess formed therein, a springpressed bar mounted in said recess, teeth projecting from the lower face of the bar, means for holding the bar within its recess, floor-engaging spurs projecting from the front head, inclined lugs projecting from the opposite edges of the cross-piece, and plates secured to said bar and adapted to be alternately engaged by the opposite faces of said. lugs as the lever is moved backward and forward, as set forth.

5. A carpet-stretcher comprising slotted front and rear heads parallel to each other, a cross-piece connecting said heads and having contracted ends mounted in the slots of the heads, an operating-lever pivoted to the cross-piece, bail-shaped rods connecting the lever upon the opposite sides of its pivotal point with said heads, carpet-engaging teeth IOO and Springactuated spurs mounted upon l said recess in the bar, and inclined lugs prothe rear head, stops for limiting the forward l jecting from the opposite edge of the crossniovement of said spurs, said front head havpiece and designed to alternately engage the ing a recess therein, a horizontally-disposed upper and lower fac-es of said plates as the and vertically-movable spring-pressed har operating-lever is swung backward and formounted in said recess, angled straps secured ward, as set forth.

to the front head and designed to hold the In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my bar within its recess, inclined spurs projecting signature in the presence of two witnesses. from the lower face of the front head, teeth CHRISS HELM. projecting from said bar, the latter having a recess, plates secured to said bar and having their inner ends projecting over the ends of Vitnesses:

GEO. M. DREssEL, T. W. JACKSON. 

